This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
There are only two games tonight, so you need to hit on the limited options you have, although it's important to differentiate your options from other fantasy gamers. Two teams are on the second half of back-to-back games, so the goaltending options are scarce. Read on to help navigate this slate that starts when the first puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET.
GOALIE
Craig Anderson, OTT vs. DET ($25): There's really not any chalky plays besides Andrei Vasilevskiy ($33), and even he hasn't been consistent with an .899 save percentage on the season. This is a good time to target the cheapest backstop on the market against a team that hasn't surpassed two goals in five straight games.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Tristan Jarry, PIT at TB ($26): It's a small sample since this is set up to be Jarry's fifth start since the beginning of last season, but it's not a favorable matchup for any netminder. The Lightning have been out of their funk to start the year, but they still rank eighth in the league with 3.50 goals per game.
CENTER
Jean-Gabriel Pageau, OTT vs. DET ($16): The obvious play is Sidney Crosby ($34), but differentiating your roster in tournaments is important. Pageau has the upside to make it worth your while. The 27-year-old has five points and a plus-7 rating through eight games, and he logs substantial power play minutes, which he can leverage against the Red Wings' porous penalty kill (72.2 percent).
CENTER TO AVOID
Dylan Larkin, DET at OTT ($26): Larkin's in a slump after his hot start, and he hasn't surpassed four fantasy points in the last four contests. He's the third highest-priced center, and that kind of price tag should at least have a better floor.
WINGS
Patric Hornqvist, PIT at TB ($18): With six points over the last six games, including two with the man advantage, Hornqvist is due for more against the Bolts. He comes with a sturdy floor, averaging nearly three shots on goal during that span. The veteran winger has a high ceiling, too, since the Lightning have allowed nine power-play goals this year -- the highest total in the league.
Brady Tkachuk, OTT vs. DET ($17): Here's a great way to stack with Pageau at a cheap cost. Tkachuk has the potential to be better than his brother Matthew, and he shows flashes of it in every game. He's cold lately with zero points over the last three games, but the Red Wings offer a chance to turn it around, as they've allowed exactly five goals in three of their last four contests.
WINGS TO AVOID
Zach Aston-Reese, PIT at TB ($15): Aston-Reese has an intriguing scoring touch, but he's lost it lately with zero points and a minus-2 rating over the past four contests. He just bottomed out at 13:26 TOI in Tuesday's game, so it'll be tough sledding, especially since Vasilevskiy can turn it on at any moment.
Anthony Duclair, OTT vs. DET ($13): It looks like Duclair may be in the coach D.J. Smith's doghouse. He recorded just 9:06 TOI in Monday's game, and he's been snubbed from the power play lately as well. Considering he has just one point and a minus-4 rating this year anyway, the upside isn't enough to make him worth your time.
DEFENSE
Victor Hedman, TB vs. PIT ($23): Hedman has only failed to score in one game this year. He's averaging just one shot on net per outing, which is definitely a downer, but his upside is excellent considering he had 13 multi-point games last season.
Dennis Cholowski, DET at OTT ($10): Cholowski looks like he could be having a breakout sophomore season, which the Red Wings have been waiting for since drafting him in the first round in 2016. He toils on the third pairing, but the 21-year-old blueliner spends consistent time on the power play. Ottawa has yielded a power-play goal in three straight games, giving Cholowski a nice ceiling for the price.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Mike Green, DET at OTT ($17): This is the most expensive Green has been all year, which is surprising since he has just one goal and zero assists all year. He couldn't mark the scoresheet against the Senators last year, either, so he's in a tough position to revv things back up.
Erik Cernak, TB vs. PIT ($16): Cernak carries a seven-game pointless streak into this outing, and he's finished below 3.0 fantasy points more often than not in that span. He's managing less than 20:00 TOI on the season, too, so Pittsburgh's stingy defense could hold him back in a limited role.
